RE: RMAN Testing Suggestions

 Well, I see it as several levels of testing.

1. Virtual restore test which I do after every backup
2. One time initial installation test restore of live DB to make your setup is ok
3. Periodic (some do daily) restore of backup to another server using the clone procedure (If this opens then you have some confidence the backup parts are there)
4. Testing your DBA's knowledge of restores with practice restores. With all the type of Restores you advertize you will do for the SLA.
5. Usually once clone is built ..run some all encompassing mega report to show the numbers line up
6. One in a blue moon Have the key users verify your clone of the database with their test and sign off it.
7. Some people which some of us have done...is have 6month disaster type recover pull plug test.

Typically many shops will just automate the cloning procedure and get warning bells when this doesn't work. I personally Like a clone built from the backup daily- it has served me well. On your clone you might check for unrecoverable stuff do to nologging and so on.

That's all Folks,
Brian

-----Original Message-----

From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of DENNIS WILLIAMS
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 10:23 AM To: ORACLE-L
Subject: RMAN Testing Suggestions

List - Recently in response to an RMAN question, several listers mentioned how critical it is to perform a test recovery after configuring RMAN. I agree whole-heartedly. I was wondering if some people could share some details of what tests seem appropriate. A simple test I can think of is to backup the database, then shut it down, rename the system datafile, then attempt to bring the database back up, then recover the datafile using an RMAN command and open the database. Is this test sufficient? On one hand I want to ensure RMAN is correctly configured for backup and recovery, but on the other hand these tests are best performed on a new database before handing it over to the users. And the users are usually clamoring to use the database, so I don't want to conduct extensive tests that are just testing RMAN itself. Any thoughts?  

Dennis Williams

DBA Lifetouch, Inc.

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http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l Received on Mon Nov 22 2004 - 10:00:57 CST